Galaxy class
Caption: A Galaxy class starship. Type: Explorer Length: 642 meters Beam: 479 meters Draft: 138 meters Mass: 4,500,000 metric tons Crew: 1,000+ (officers, enlisted, and civilian) Maximum Speed: Warp 9.6 (12 hours) Armament: 12 Type-X phaser arrays; 3 photon torpedo launchers Defenses: Deflector shields Caption: A Galaxy class starship in spacedock. The Galaxy-class starship is the latest flagship class of Starfleet, launched in the 2360s Named after the USS Galaxy, the Galaxy class starships are designed to be able to accommodate families as well as crew quarters. They saucer section (the saucer-shaped module which forums the "head" of the ship) can be seperated before battle, in order to put civilians out of danger in a serious combat situation. However, doing so robs the ship of energy generation capabilities and firepower, which are crucial in combat, so such a move is seldom performed. The most notable Galaxy class starship was the USS Enterprise-D, the flagship of the Federation. At least two Galaxy class starships had names which possessed honourable histories in Starfleet; Enterprise (named in honour of its famous predecessors and Yamato (named in honour of its predecessors). History The Galaxy class starships were the largest and most powerful in Starfleet during the 2360s and 2370s, after which point they were exceeded by the slightly smaller Sovereign class in sheer power. However, they remain the largest ships in service, with 42 decks and 641 meters in length. While only six had been completed by 2364, several more had been constructed and were in active service by the 2370s. Several Galaxy Wings, composed solely of Galaxy class starships were instrumental in defeating Dominion forces in the battle to retake Deep Space Nine (known as the Battle of Deep Space Nine) in 2374 during the Dominion War. The Galaxy class USS Odyssey was the first major loss caused by the Dominion several years earlier, during the Battle of New Bajor (2370) when a Jem'Hadar fighter rammed its engineering section after shield power had been redirected to weapons. Development Already in the 2350s numerous technologies, which would be later implemented on Galaxy class starships, were tested aboard the Oberth class vessel USS Pegasus. The Galaxy class starships were originally intended to be a smaller design, but mission and specifiction creep during the design process resulted in the largest starship Starfleet has ever produced. However, the power systems turned out to be somewhat vulnerable, especially during enemy attack. The ejection systems for the warp systems were known to be vulnerable to failure. The Galaxy class was sometimes seen by those of a more military background as devoting to much space and energy to create comforts and family support, such as holodecks, gymnasiums, and theatres. The inclusion of families among the crew also proved to be a questionable policy. At least one ship - the Yamato - was lost with its full complement, including families. Another ship - the Odyssey - was lost, but families and non-essential personnel were not on board. Dominion War The beginning of the Dominion War suspended this policy and it has not been revealed whether or not this policy had been reactivated following the war. By the beginning of the Dominion War, three Galaxy class starships had already been lost, all of them due to damage to their warp drives: Yamato from an alien computer virus, which had taken over her major computer systems; Enterprise from Klingon torpedoes, which damaged the warp core; and Odyssey from impact damage to her neck and starboard warp nacelle resulting from a kamikaze. Many Galaxy class starships were produced during the runup to the Dominion War, to fill the fleets out with heavy combatants until the Sovereign class heavy cruiser could be produced in numbers. These starships were completed without most of the fittings of their peacetime counterparts - some ships were sent into battle with only the facilities needed for minimal crew life support and to make them ready for battle, because the need for starships was so great at times during the war. It is not known how these ships were fitted following the Dominion War. Interior The Galaxy class starships were being designed and constructed in the established Renaissance period of the mid-24th century. Families became an occasional presence on board of these grand vessels, and holodecks provided the crew all recreational facilities they required. The interior of the Galaxy class vessels is marked by its remarkable luxuery. Main Bridge The Main Bridge of the Galaxy class starships was located on top of the saucer section of the ship, located in the center. A roughly egg-shaped room with a large viewscreen at the very front and a series of duty station in its center and around the walls, it was the focal point of the ship's operations and activities. At the very center of the room was the captain's chair, flanked by the chairs of his first officer to the right, and ship's counselor to the left. The tactical console, positioned directly behind the captain, was located in the wooden handrail that encircled the rear half of this central command area. In keeping with traditional Bridge layouts, the CONN and OPS stations were located between the captain and viewscreen. Other duty stations included engineering, science, and environmental consoles; these lined the perimeter wall. The Bridge was also equipped with a food replicator. By necessity, the bridge was provided with easy access to and from all other important areas of the ship. In all, there were six doors leading from the room. Moving clockwise from the main viewscreen, the first door, level with the CONN console, led directly into the Battle Bridge turbolift. At the rear left of the Bridge, a shallow alcove contained two doors, one of which led to a bathroom, the other to a corridor at the end of which was the Observation Lounge. The door at the rear right of the room opened onto a turbolift. Continuing around, the fifth door led into the captain's Ready Room, the sixth to another turbolift. As the Main Bridge housed so many critical systems, various emergency backups were included so that duty personnel could continue to work for up to 72 hours after the rest of the ship had shut down. Observation Lounge The Observation Lounge was located directly behind the Galaxy class' Main Bridge. The room was usually used as a conference room for the ship's senior staff. Main Engineering Located on Deck 36, the Galaxy class' Main Engineering was a large room, consisting of two decks, the Main Engineering level being located on Deck 36. The "pool table" is the room's main computer console. The warp core is located in Main Engineering. There are three main consoles in the room: the Master Systems Monitor, the Warp Propulsion System and the Impuls Propulsion System console. In between the Warp and Impuls Propulsion System consoles, there is the Master Systems Display. Heading towards the warp core from the main entrance, one will find the Chief Engineer's office on the left, and the Assistant Chief Engineer's console on the right. A little more forward is the isolation door. Access to the upper level of Engineering can be found by a ladder on the left of the Matter/Antimatter Reaction Chamber or an elevator on the right. The upper level has access to many auxilary sytems, as well as egress points. Galaxy-class interiors Caption: Observation Lounge Caption: Main Engineering Caption: Sickbay Caption: Crew Quarters Caption: Ten Forward lounge. Caption: Holodeck. Medical Facilities The Galaxy class houses two sickbay facilities on Deck 12. The primary facility has two instensive-care wards, a laboratory, a nursery, and the Chief Medical Officer's office. The secondary facility has two dedicated surgery suites, a physical therapy facility, a nursery, and a null-gravy therapy wards. The primary sickbay is located on the port side of the vessel, and the secondary facility on the starboard side. Also pursuent to the new Medical Protocols, all medical facilites are equipped with holo-emitters for the usage of the Emergency Medical Holographic System. Aid Stations Like on any large starship, the Galaxy class has nurse stations around the vessel, almost on each deck. These areas are staffed on a rotating schedule during green mode, and during higher alert status, they may all be activated. They provide first aid to injured personnel and become quick essential command posts during situations were the ship is damaged. Counselor's Office The ship's counselor has her own office, where crewmembers in need of mental support can meet with the counselor. Crew Quarters The luxurious crew quarters of the Galaxy class were located in the ship's saucer section. At saucer seperation, the saucer section would be safe from combat, and therefore the crew's quarters were located in this section. Personnel assigned to Galaxy class starships for periods over six months were permitted to reconfigure their quarters within hardware, volume, and mass limits. Individuals assigned for shorter periods are generally restricted to standard quarter configuration. Standard Crew Quarters Standard living quarters are provided for both Starfleet non-commissioned officers and ensigns. They are expected to share their room with another crewmate, due to space restrictions aboard the starship. After a period of six months, crewmembers are permitted to bring family aboard the ship and a slightly larger room is allocated for them. Two non-commissioned officers and two ensigns are assigned to a suite. Accommodations include two bedrooms with standard beds, connected by a living/working area. A washroom with ultrasonic shower is located off each bedroom. A food replicator and a personal holographic viewer are located in the living area. Enlisted crewmembers are to share quarters with up to four others. Accommodations include two bedrooms with twin beds, connected by a living/working area. A washroom with ultrasonic shower is located off each bedroom. A food replicator and a personal holographic viewer are located in the living area. Pets are not allowed to enlisted crew. Crewmen can request that their living quarters be combined to create a single larger dwelling. Officers' Quaters Starfleet personnel from the rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade up to Commander are given one set of quarters for themselves. In addition, department heads and their assistants are granted such privileges as well, in an effort to provide a private environment to perform off-duty work. After a period of six months, officers are permitted to bring family aboard the ship and a slightly larger room is allocated to them. Members of the captain's senior staff can have these restrictions waved with the captain's permission. Officers' accommodations typically include a small bathroom, a bedroom with a standard bed, a living/working area, a food replicator, an ultrasonic shower, personal holographic viewer, and provisions for pets. Officers may request that their living quarters be combined to form one large dwelling. Executive Quarters The Captain and Executive Officer of a Galaxy class starship have special quarters, located on Deck 8. These quarters are much more luxurious than any others on the ship are, with the exception of the VIP/Diplomatic Guest quarters. Both the Executive Officer's and the Captain's quarters are larger than standard Officers' Quarters, and this space generally has the following accommodations: a bedroom, living/working area, bathroom, food replicator, ultrasonic shower, old-fashioned water shower, personal holographic viewer, and provisions for pets. The second officer and senior staff have similar quarters, with less area, generally between that of the Executive Quarters and the Officers' Quarters. VIP/Diplomatic Guest Quarters The Galaxy class starship is a symbol for Federation authority, and a tool in dealing with other races and cultures. Starfleet intends to use these vessels in diplomacy, and the need to transport or accommodate Very Important Persons, diplomatics, or ambassadors may arise. Located on Deck 8 also, these quarters include a bedroom, spacious living/working area, personal viewscreen, ultrasonic shower, bathtub/water shower, some provisions for pets, food replicator, and a null-grav sleeping chamber. Ten Forward Located in the forward most of the saucer section, on Deck 10. Being the social center of the ship, Ten Forward has a battery of recreational games and assortions, including 3D chess, pool tables, poker tables, windows that look out into space, heavily cushioned seats, and numerous other games. There is also a bar, and its stores various potent alcoholic beverages. The replicators are also able to produce other food and drinks for the crew to enjoy this relaxed social setting. Other Recreational Facilities Being the largest ship in Starfleet, vessels of the Galaxy class have been designed for scientific and tactical usage. However, it is realized that the stress of operating at such a high level of efficiency on a ship that is built for deep-space exploration can be dangerous, so there are several recreational facilities on board. Holodecks Being the first ship in Starfleet to carry them, the Galaxy class' holodecks are located on Deck 11. Holosuites Smaller versions of the standard holodeck, these are designed for individual usage (the four holodecks themselves are to be used by groups of individual officers; enlisted crewman and cadets are not allowed to use the holodeck under normal circumstances). There are twenty holosuits on board, located on Decks 12 and 33. Phaser Range Located on Deck 12. A person stands in the center of the phaser range room, with no light except for the circle in the middle of the floor that the person is standing in. Coloured circular dots, approximately the size of a human hand, whirl across the walls, and the person aims and fires. After completing a round, the amounts of hits and misses, along with the percentage of accuracy is announced by the ship's computer. The phaser range is also used by the ship's security to train personnel in marksmanship. Weight Room The weight room is located on Deck 12, next to the phaser range. This room has full body building and exercize apparatuses available for crew's disposal. Ships of the Class *[[USS Challenger|USS Challenger]] (NCC-71899) *[[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D)|USS Enterprise]] (NCC-1701-D) *[[USS Galaxy|USS Galaxy]] (NCC-70637) *[[USS Magellan|USS Magellan]] (NCC-?????) *[[USS Odyssey|USS Odyssey]] (NCC-71832) *[[USS Trinculo|USS Trinculo]] (NCC-71867) *[[USS Venture|USS Venture]] (NCC-71854) *[[USS Yamato|USS Yamato]] (NCC-71807) Background Information The Galaxy class has a third torpedo launcher in the connecting section of the saucer, facing aft. This launcher can not be used while saucer and stardrive are connected. The USS Enterprise-D was designed by Andrew Probert. His proposed design was only slightly altered by Gene Roddenberry, who placed the Bridge back on top of the saucer section, and increased the length of the warp nacelles.